Stackable container assembly

ABSTRACT

A stackable container assembly has a base container and an accessory container selectively connected to a top surface of the base container such that the accessory container is stacked on top of the base container. The base container has a container body has a bottom surface adapted for connecting the base container to a vehicle; a tongue connected to the container body and being adapted for inserting into a first vehicle anchor fixture connected to the vehicle; and an anchor connected to the container body and being adapted for inserting into a second vehicle anchor fixture. The anchor has an anchor base and an anchor lock extending from the anchor base. The anchor lock is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the anchor base between a locked position and an unlocked position. A container and a vehicle provided with the stackable container assembly are also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 15/387,847, filed Dec. 22, 2016, which claims priority to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 62/270,983 filed on Dec. 22, 2015, theentirety of both which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present technology relates to a container and a stackable containerassembly for a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Vehicles such as snowmobiles often carry additional fuel in containerscalled jerry cans, as well as miscellaneous accessories such as personalitems, equipment, and the like, in addition to passengers. The vehiclesmay be provided with sections or racks and the like to carry cargo. Thecargo items are often secured to parts of the vehicles by ropes, cords,tie-downs and the like.

This is not, however, a convenient method for transporting objects on avehicle. Jerks and bumps experienced during travel can sometimes resultin objects shifting within the spaces in which they were placed, orloosening from the grips of the tying cords. It is not always easy tofind a space having the ideal shape or size for carrying particularobjects, or to find a hook or structure for securing an object to in thedesired location. Additionally, there is limited space on the sectionsor racks provided to carry the cargo. In some cases, riders may need todecide between bringing a jerry can with additional fuel or an accessorycontainer for miscellaneous other objects.

Therefore, there is a need for a versatile system for containers suchthat a jerry can and an accessory container can be transportedsimultaneously in or on vehicles and securely connect to the providedcargo sections.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present to ameliorate at least some of theinconveniences present in the prior art.

According to an aspect of the present technology, there is provided acontainer having a container body having a top surface and a bottomsurface, the bottom surface being adapted for connecting the containerto a vehicle, the top surface being adapted for receiving an accessorycontainer; a tongue connected to the container body and being adaptedfor inserting into a first vehicle anchor fixture connected to thevehicle; and an anchor connected to the container body and being adaptedfor inserting into a second vehicle anchor fixture. The anchor has ananchor base being connected to the bottom surface of the container body;and an anchor lock extending from the anchor base. The anchor lock beingrotatable about an axis perpendicular to the anchor base between alocked position and an unlocked position.

In some implementations, the tongue and the anchor are disposed onopposite sides of the container body.

In some implementations, a fixture assembly is attached to the topsurface of the container body. The fixture assembly is adapted forreceiving the accessory container. The fixture assembly has a fixtureplate, and at least one anchor fixture connected to the fixture plate.

In some implementations, the fixture plate includes a handle adapted forcarrying the container.

In some implementations, the fixture assembly is removable from thecontainer.

In some implementations, a fluid filling neck is adapted for filling aninterior of the container with fluid. The fluid filling neck extendsfrom the container body, and is outside an exterior edge of the fixtureplate.

In some implementations, a cap is adapted for selectively closing thefluid filling neck. The cap is removable when the accessory container isconnected to the container.

According to another aspect of the present technology, there is provideda stackable container assembly having a base container and an accessorycontainer. The base container has a container body having a top surfaceand a bottom surface, the bottom surface being adapted for connectingthe base container to a vehicle; a tongue connected to the containerbody and being adapted for inserting into a first vehicle anchor fixtureconnected to the vehicle; and an anchor connected to the container bodyand being adapted for inserting into a second vehicle anchor fixture.The anchor has an anchor base being connected to the bottom surface ofthe container body, and an anchor lock extending from the anchor base.The anchor lock is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the anchorbase between a locked position and an unlocked position. The accessorycontainer has an accessory body having an accessory bottom surface forselectively connecting the accessory container to the top surface of thebase container such that the accessory container is stacked on top ofthe base container.

In some implementations, the tongue and the anchor are disposed onopposite sides of the container body.

In some implementations, a fixture assembly is attached to the topsurface of the container body. The fixture assembly is adapted forreceiving the accessory container. The fixture assembly has a fixtureplate, and at least one anchor fixture connected to the fixture plate.

In some implementations, the fixture assembly is removable from the basecontainer.

In some implementations, the fixture plate includes a handle. The bottomsurface of the accessory body is adapted for receiving the handleattached to the fixture plate when the accessory container is connectedto the base container.

In some implementations, the base container has a fluid filling neckadapted for filling an interior of the base container with fluid. Thefluid filling neck extends from the container body of the basecontainer. The fluid filling neck is outside an exterior edge of thefixture plate.

In some implementations, a cap is adapted for selectively closing thefluid filling neck. The cap is removable when the accessory container isconnected to the base container.

According to another aspect of the present technology, there is provideda vehicle having a first vehicle anchor fixture and a second vehicleanchor fixture, a base container connected to the first and secondvehicle anchor fixtures, and an accessory container. The base containerhas a container body having a top surface and a bottom surface, thebottom surface being selectively connected to the first and secondvehicle anchor fixtures; a tongue connected to the container body andbeing selectively inserted into the first vehicle anchor fixture; and ananchor connected to the container body and being selectively insertedinto the second vehicle anchor fixture. The anchor has an anchor basebeing connected to the bottom surface of the container body; and ananchor lock extending from the anchor base. The anchor lock is rotatableabout an axis perpendicular to the anchor base between a locked positionand an unlocked position. The accessory container has an accessory bodyhaving an accessory bottom surface for selectively connecting theaccessory container to the top surface of the base container such thatthe accessory container is stacked on top of the base container.

In some implementations, the vehicle is a snowmobile having a frameincluding a tunnel, the first and second vehicle anchor fixtures beingconnected to a top side of the tunnel; a motor connected to the frame; adrive track disposed at least in part under the tunnel, the drive trackbeing operatively connected to and driven by the motor; at least one skioperatively connected to the frame; and a straddle seat disposed abovethe tunnel. The accessory container extends at least partially above thestraddle seat when the accessory container is connected to the basecontainer. A top surface of the straddle seat extends above the topsurface of the container body of the base container.

In some implementations, a fixture assembly is attached to the topsurface of the container body. The fixture assembly is adapted forreceiving the accessory container. The fixture assembly has a fixtureplate, and at least one anchor fixture connected to the fixture plate.

In some implementations, the fixture plate includes a handle. The bottomsurface of the accessory body is adapted for receiving the handleattached to the fixture plate when the accessory container is connectedto the base container.

In some implementations, the base container also has a fluid fillingneck adapted for filling an interior of the base container with fluid.The fluid filling neck extends from the container body of the basecontainer. The fluid filling neck is outside an exterior edge of thefixture plate.

For purposes of the present application, terms related to spatialorientation when referring to a vehicle and components in relation tothe vehicle, such as “forwardly”, “rearwardly”, “left”, “right”, “above”and “below”, are as they would be understood by a driver of the vehicle,with the vehicle, in a straight ahead orientation (i.e. not steered leftor right), and in an upright position. When referring to a componentalone, terms related to spatial orientation should be taken with respectto the component itself. The explanations provided above regarding theabove terms take precedence over explanations of these terms that may befound in any one of the documents incorporated herein by reference.

Explanations and/or definitions of terms provided in the presentapplication take precedence over explanations and/or definitions ofthese terms that may be found in the document incorporated herein byreference.

Implementations of the present technology each have at least one of theabove-mentioned object and/or aspects, but do not necessarily have allof them. It should be understood that some aspects of the presenttechnology that have resulted from attempting to attain theabove-mentioned object may not satisfy this object and/or may satisfyother objects not specifically recited herein.

Additional and/or alternative features, aspects, and advantages ofimplementations of the present technology will become apparent from thefollowing description, the accompanying drawings, and the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present technology, as well as otheraspects and further features thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription which is to be used in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, where:

FIG. 1 is a right side elevation view of a snowmobile;

FIG. 2 is a top, rear, right side perspective view of a portion of thesnowmobile of FIG. 1, showing a stackable container assembly secured toanchor fixtures on a tunnel of the snowmobile;

FIG. 3 is a right elevation view of the stackable container assembly andthe portion of the snowmobile of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A is a top, rear, right side perspective view of the portion ofthe snowmobile of FIG. 2, showing an accessory container of thestackable container assembly secured to anchor fixtures on the tunnel ofthe snowmobile;

FIG. 4B is a top, rear, right side perspective view of the portion ofthe snowmobile of FIG. 2, showing a base container of the stackablecontainer assembly secured to anchor fixtures on the tunnel of thesnowmobile;

FIG. 5 is a right elevation view of the base container and the portionof the snowmobile for FIG. 4B;

FIG. 6 is a top, rear, right side perspective view of the stackablecontainer assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a top, rear, right side perspective view of the base containerof the stackable container assembly of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the base container of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the base container of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of an attachment base and the anchor ofthe base container of FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a rear elevation view of the attachment base and the anchorof FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a top plan view of a fixture assembly of the base containerof FIG. 7;

FIG. 13 is a front elevation view of the fixture assembly of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a top, rear, right side perspective view of the accessorycontainer of the stackable container assembly of FIG. 6;

FIG. 15 is a bottom plan view of the accessory container of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a bottom plan view of an accessory base and an anchor of theaccessory container of FIG. 14;

FIG. 17 is a front elevation view of the accessory base and the anchorof FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is cross-sectional view of the attachment base and the anchor ofFIG. 10 taken through line 18-18 of FIG. 10, with a strap covering alever of the anchor removed for clarity;

FIGS. 19A-19D are various close-up views of a left anchor fixture of thefixture assembly of FIG. 12; FIG. 19A being a left, rear sideperspective view; FIG. 19B being a rear, right side perspective view;FIG. 19C being a top plan view; and FIG. 19D being a left elevation viewof the left anchor fixture;

FIG. 20 is a rear, right side perspective view of a part of the tunnelof the snowmobile of FIG. 1 showing the attachment base and the anchorof FIG. 10 with two anchor fixtures of FIGS. 19A to 19D for connectingthe base container of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 21 is a rear, right side perspective view of the elements of FIG.20 with the attachment base connected to the tunnel of the snowmobile.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A container and a stackable container assembly will be described withrespect to a snowmobile 10. However, it is contemplated that thecontainer and stackable container assembly could be used on differenttypes of vehicles, such as side-by-side vehicles (SSVs) or all-terrainvehicles (ATVs).

Turning now to FIG. 1, the snowmobile 10 includes a forward end 12 and arearward end 14 that are defined consistently with a forward traveldirection of the snowmobile 10. The snowmobile 10 includes a frame 16that includes a tunnel 18, a motor cradle portion 20 and a frontsuspension assembly portion 22. A motor, which in the presentimplementation is an internal combustion engine 24 (schematicallyillustrated in FIG. 1), is carried by the motor cradle portion 20 of theframe 16. Two skis 26 are positioned at the forward end 12 of thesnowmobile 10 and are attached to the front suspension assembly portion22 of the frame 16 through front suspension assemblies 28. Each frontsuspension assembly 28 includes a shock absorber assembly 29, a ski leg30 and supporting arms 32. Ball joints and steering rods (not shown)operatively connecting the skis 26 to a steering column 34. A steeringdevice in the form of handlebar 36 is attached to the upper end of thesteering column 34 to allow a driver to rotate the ski legs 30 and thusthe skis 26, in order to steer the snowmobile 10.

An endless drive track 38 is disposed generally under the tunnel 18 andis operatively connected to the engine 24 through a CVT 40(schematically illustrated by broken lines in FIG. 1). The endless drivetrack 38 is driven to run about a rear suspension assembly 42 forpropulsion of the snowmobile 10. The rear suspension assembly 42includes a pair of slide rails 44 in sliding contact with the endlessdrive track 38. The rear suspension assembly 42 also includes aplurality of shock absorbers 46 which may further include coil springs47 surrounding the shock absorbers 46. Suspension arms 48 and 50 areprovided to attach the slide rails 44 to the frame 16. A plurality ofidler wheels 52 are also provided in the rear suspension assembly 42.Other types and geometries of rear suspension assemblies are alsocontemplated.

At the forward end 12 of the snowmobile 10, fairings 54 enclose theengine 24 and the CVT 40, thereby providing an external shell thatprotects the engine 24 and the CVT 40. The fairings 54 include a hoodand one or more side panels that can be opened to allow access to theengine 24 and the CVT 40 when this is required, for example, forinspection or maintenance of the engine 24 and/or the CVT 40. Awindshield 56 is connected to the fairings 54 near the forward end 12 ofthe snowmobile 10. Alternatively the windshield 56 could be connecteddirectly to the handlebar 36. The windshield 56 acts as a wind screen tolessen the force of the air on the driver while the snowmobile 10 ismoving forward.

A straddle seat 58 is positioned over the tunnel 18. Two footrests 60are positioned on opposite sides of the snowmobile 10 below the seat 58to accommodate the driver's feet. A snow flap 19 is disposed at the rearend 14 of the snowmobile 10. The tunnel 18 consists of one or morepieces of sheet metal arranged to form an inverted U-shape that isconnected at the front to the motor cradle portion 20 and extendsrearward therefrom.

The snowmobile 10 has other features and components which would bereadily recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art, furtherexplanation and description of these components will not be providedherein.

An implementation of the present technology is illustrated by FIGS. 2and 3, wherein a stackable container assembly 100 is connected to thesnowmobile 10 rearward of the seat 58 on an upper surface 21 of thetunnel 18. The stackable container assembly 100 is made up of twocontainers for transport on the snowmobile 10: a base container 200 andan accessory container 400. The container 200 mounted directly on thetunnel 18 is referred to herein as the base container 200. For theillustrated implementation, the base container 200 is a jerry can 200.It is contemplated that the base container 200 could be another type ofcontainer other than the jerry can 200.

The jerry can 200 for transporting fuel is attached to the upper surface21 of the tunnel 18. The accessory container 400, made for transportingobjects, is stacked atop and attached to the jerry can 200. Whenconnected together, a top side 412 of the accessory container 400extends above the straddle seat 58, as seen in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIGS. 4B and 5, the accessory container 400 can be removedfrom the jerry can 200, without having to remove the jerry can 200 fromthe snowmobile 10. As can be seen in FIG. 5, a top surface 59 of thestraddle seat 58 extends above a top surface 212 of a container body 210of the jerry can 200 when the jerry can 200 is mounted to the tunnel 18.

The two containers 200, 400 of the stackable container assembly 100 areshown connected together, but disconnected from the snowmobile 10, inFIG. 6. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the containers 200, 400 of thecontainer assembly 100 may be connected together and to the snowmobile10 (FIGS. 2 and 3), connected together but not to the snowmobile 10(FIG. 6), or the jerry can 200 could be connected to the snowmobile 10without the accessory container 400 (FIGS. 4B and 5), or the accessorycontainer 400 could be connected directly to the snowmobile 10 withoutthe jerry can 200 (FIG. 4A). As seen in FIGS. 7 and 14, the containers200, 400 can be fully separated from each other and the snowmobile 10 aswell. The connection system utilized herein, which is described in moredetail below, allows the containers 200, 400 of the stackable containerassembly 100 to remain securely connected together and to the snowmobile10 during operation. The system also allows a user of the assembly 100to easily connect or separate the containers 200, 400 to or from eachother or the snowmobile 10.

The jerry can 200 and its components are shown in FIGS. 6 to 13. Thejerry can 200 is generally used for transporting fuel. The containerbody 210 is made of high density polyethylene plastic, which is stiffand impermeable. It is contemplated that other materials could be used,so long as they are appropriate for safely transporting fuel.Additionally, any material contemplated for the present implementationwould need to be adequately stiff to support the accessory container 400when it is stacked on top of the jerry can 200.

The jerry can 200 has a fluid filling neck 230 adapted for filling aninterior of the container body 210 with fluid, such as fuel. There isalso included a cap 232 to selectively close the neck 230. The cap 232screws onto the neck 230. It is contemplated that the cap 232 couldinclude a lock and key to secure the contents of the jerry can 200. Insome implementations, the cap 232 could be tethered to the containerbody 210 so that the cap 232 cannot be accidently misplaced.

An attachment base 300 is used to selectively connect the jerry can 200to the snowmobile 10. The attachment base 300 is connected to a bottomsurface 214 of the container body 210 (see FIG. 9). The attachment base300 has a frame 302 providing the structure of the attachment base 300.The frame 302 has several criss-crossing ribs 308 to help strengthen theattachment base 300. The frame 302 is generally flat, as seen forexample in FIG. 11. It is contemplated that the frame 302 could have adifferent pattern of ribs 308, depending on the implementation. It isfurther contemplated that the frame 302 could be a solid plate withoutribs 308.

At a right end portion 304 of the attachment base 300, there is providedan anchor 350 for connecting to an anchor fixture 270 on the snowmobile10. At a left end portion 304 of the attachment base 300, there is atongue 310 for connecting to another anchor fixture 270 on thesnowmobile 10. The anchor 350 and the tongue 310 are integral to theframe 302 of the attachment base 300. It is contemplated however thatthe anchor 350 and/or the tongue 310 could be removably attached to theframe 302. More details of the anchor 350, the tongue 310, and theanchor fixtures 270 are provided further below.

A rubber strap 309 is provided on the frame 302 for covering the anchor350 disposed on the right side portion 304. The strap 309 is attached tothe frame 302 to one side of the anchor 350. The strap 309, when in aclosed position, is hooked onto a tab 311 on the frame 302 on anotherside of the anchor 350. Greater functional details of the strap 309 willbe described below with respect to the anchor 350. The strap 309 is madeof rubber. It is contemplated, however, that the strap 309 could be madeof any flexible material. It is also contemplated that the strap 309could be detachable from the frame 309.

Four holes 320 are provided in the frame 302 for securing the attachmentbase 300 to the container body 210. Four screws 322 pass through theholes 320 to connect the frame 302 to the container body 210. It iscontemplated that fasteners other than screws 322 could be used. It isalso contemplated that more or fewer holes 320 and fasteners 322 couldbe used for connecting the attachment base 300 to the container body210. It is further contemplated that the attachment base 300 could beintegral to the container body 210.

A fixture assembly 250 (see FIGS. 7, 12 and 13) is connected to a topsurface 214 of the jerry can 200. Specifically, a fixture plate 252 isconnected to the top surface 214 of the container body 210 by fourscrews 256 passing through four holes 258 provided in the fixture plate252. It is contemplated that other types of fasteners 256 could be used.It is also contemplated that more or fewer holes 252 and fasteners 252could be used for connecting the fixture assembly 250 to the jerry can200. It is also contemplated that the fixture assembly 250 could beintegral to the container body 210.

The fixture assembly 250 includes two anchor fixtures 270 (removed inFIG. 13) for attaching the accessory container 400. The two anchorfixtures 270 are connected to the fixture plate 252 by two screws 274 ata right end portion 251 and a left end portion 253. The fixture assembly250 also includes a handle 254 for carrying the jerry can 200. Thehandle 254 is integral to the fixture plate 252. It is contemplated thatthe form of the handle 254 could be different depending on theimplementation. It is also contemplated that the fixture plate 252 couldbe integral to the container body 210. It is further contemplated thatthe anchor fixtures 270 could be integral to the fixture plate 252.

As seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, the fluid filling neck 230 extends at an angleupward from the container body 210. The fixture plate 250, see forexample FIG. 12, includes a recessed portion 259 such that the neck 230is outside an exterior edge 260 of the fixture plate 250. As seen inFIG. 6, this allows the cap 232 of the fluid filling neck 230 to beaccessible when the stackable container assembly 100 is assembledtogether. As such, the cap 232 is removable even while the accessorycontainer 400 is connected to the jerry can 200.

The accessory container 400 of the stackable container assembly 100 willnow be described with respect to FIGS. 14 to 17. The accessory container400 includes an accessory container body 410 for transporting objects.The accessory body 410 is made of a semi-rigid material for securelytransporting objects on the snowmobile 10 during normal operation. It iscontemplated, however, that many different materials may be used,including, but not limited to, canvas, leather, plastic, rubber, andmetal. A lid 425 is hinged on a front side 418 of the accessorycontainer body 410. It is contemplated that the lid 425 could be fullyseparable from the container body 410 in some implementations.

The lid 425 includes a handle 454 for carrying the accessory container400. The handle 454 is made of the same semi-rigid material as theaccessory container body 410. It is contemplated that the material ofthe handle 454 could be different than that of the accessory containerbody 410. It is further contemplated that the handle 454 could beattached to the accessory container body 410 instead of the lid 425.

A clasp 422 included on the accessory container 400 secures the lid 425in a closed position. It is contemplated that the clasp 422 could bereplaced with different mechanisms for keeping the lid 425 closed,including, but not limited to: a Velcro™ connecting strap, a latch, ahook and eye clasp, and a toggle clasp. It is also contemplated that thelid 425 could include a lock and key system to secure the contents ofthe accessory container 400.

The accessory container 400 has an accessory base 500 attached to abottom surface 414 of the accessory container body 410 which isillustrated in FIGS. 16 and 17. The accessory base 500 is configured toconnect to the fixture assembly 250 of the jerry can 200 when theaccessory container 400 is stacked on top of the jerry can 200. Theaccessory base 500 has an accessory frame 502 to provide structure. Theaccessory frame 502 includes curved ribs 508 to provide additionalstrength to the accessory frame 502. It is contemplated that the ribs508 could be more or less curved. It is also contemplated that theaccessory frame 502 could be made without the ribs 508. It is furthercontemplated that the accessory frame 502 could be integral to theaccessory container body 410.

One anchor 350 is attached to the accessory base 500 at a right endportion 506 of the frame 502. A tongue 510 is connected to the accessorybase 500 at a left end portion 504 of the frame 502. The tongue 510 is atoe-in holder similar to the tongue 310 of the attachment base 300 andits use will be described in more detail below. The anchor 350 and thetongue 510 are integral to the frame 502 of the accessory base 300. Itis contemplated however that the anchor 350 and/or the tongue 510 couldbe removably attached to the accessory frame 502.

In a center portion 505, the accessory base 500 is recessed so as to fitaround the handle 254 of the jerry can 200 when the accessory container400 is stacked on top of the jerry can 200 (FIG. 17). The attachmentbase 300 is, on the other hand, relatively flat (FIG. 11). Theattachment base 300 has no recess for receiving the handle 454 of theaccessory container 400 or the handle 254 of the jerry can 200.

A rubber strap 509 is provided on the frame 502 for covering the anchor350 disposed on the right side portion 506. The strap 509 is attached tothe frame 502 to one side of the anchor 350. The strap 509, when in aclosed position, is hooked on to a tab 511 on the frame 502 on anotherside of the anchor 350. Greater functional details of the strap 509 willbe described below with respect to the anchor 350. As with strap 309,the strap 509 is made of rubber but it is contemplated that the strap509 could be made of any flexible material. It is also contemplated thatthe strap 509 could be detachable from the frame 509.

An exemplary anchor 350 of the anchors 350 connected to the attachmentbase 300 and the accessory base 500 is illustrated in FIG. 18. Theanchor 350 will be described with respect to the attachment base 300,however the anchor 350 of the accessory base 500 functions in anequivalent manner.

The anchor 350 includes an anchor base 352 integrally formed with theattachment base 300 and an anchor lock 354 extending from the anchorbase 352. The anchor lock 354 and the anchor base 352 are separated by aspace 356 wherein one or more surfaces can be held anchored together.The anchor base 352 and anchor lock 354 have an elongated shape. Theanchor lock 354 is rotatable about an axis 358 perpendicular to theanchor base 352 between a locked position and an unlocked position thatare separated by a quarter turn. In the unlocked position (shown in FIG.20), the anchor lock 354 is disposed parallel to the anchor base 352,and in the locked position (shown in FIGS. 10, 11 and 18), the anchorlock 354 is disposed perpendicular to the anchor base 352. The anchorlock 354 extends from a stem 360 disposed along the axis 358. A lever362 is rotatable about the axis 358 and is operatively connected to theanchor lock 354 to move the anchor lock 354 between the locked andunlocked positions. The end of the lever 362 that connects to the stem360 is received in a space 364 defined in the attachment base 300. Thelocked and unlocked positions of the anchor 350 correspond to the anchorlock 354 being rotated by 90 degrees relative to the anchor base 352,and to the lever 362 being correspondingly turned by 90 degrees. It iscontemplated that the anchor lock 354 could be turned by more or lessthan 90 degrees to engage an aperture 280 (see FIG. 19A) in one of theanchor fixtures 270. It is also contemplated that the lever 362 could beturned by a different angle than the anchor base 352 in order to movethe anchor 350 between locked and unlocked positions.

The lever 362 is used to rotate the anchor lock 354 between the lockedposition and unlocked position as mentioned above. In the unlockedposition of the anchor 350, the open lever 362 extends outwards from theframe 302. The lever 362 is turned in the groove 328 (FIG. 20) providedin the frame 302 for the lever 362 to lock the anchor 350. In the lockedposition of the anchor 350, the closed lever 362 is disposed adjacent tothe frame 302 in the groove 328 and not extending outwards as in theunlocked position. Thus, when the anchor 350 is locked, the lever 362 isless likely to be accidentally pushed keeping the anchor 350 securely inthe locked position. U.S. Pat. No. 8,777,531 B2, published on Jul. 15,2014, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference,provides additional details regarding anchors similar in construction tothe anchor 350.

With reference to FIGS. 19A through 19D, details of the anchor fixtures270 used to connect the jerry can 200 to the snowmobile 10, as well asthe accessory container 400 to the jerry can 200, will now be discussed.The left anchor fixture 270 is illustrated in FIGS. 19A to 19D and willbe described herebelow. The right anchor fixture 270 is a mirror imageof the left anchor fixture 270.

The anchor fixture 270 has a fixture body 271 with top 291, right side292, front 293, rear 294 and left side 295 portions, each portion havingan interior and an exterior surface. The fixture body 271 also has abase 282. An anchor aperture 280, designed for an anchor 350 to beinserted into, is defined through the top portion 291 of the anchorfixture 270. The anchor aperture 280 leads downwards through the topportion 291 to an anchor chamber 290. The anchor chamber 290, below theanchor aperture 280, extends outwards towards the right side surface292. A fastener aperture 285, designed for the insertion of the tonguefasteners 310 or 510, is defined in the right side surface 292. A pairof fasteners 274 inserted through a pair of fastener holes 273 in thefixture body 271 are used to secure the fixture 270 into fastener holes(not shown) defined in the top surface 21 of the tunnel 18 of thesnowmobile 10 or in the fixture plate 252 of the jerry can 200. It iscontemplated that fastener holes could be provided on another type ofvehicle for implementing the stackable container assembly 100 thereupon.

The central axis 277 of the fastener aperture 285 (axis normal to thefastener aperture 285) is perpendicular to the central axis 275 of theanchor aperture 280 (axis perpendicular to the anchor aperture 280) andparallel to the base 282. It is contemplated that the central axes 277,275 could be disposed at other angles to each other and to the anchorfixture base 282.

The elongated anchor lock 354 of the anchor 350 shown in FIG. 18 isinserted into the anchor chamber 290 through the anchor aperture 280 ofthe top portion 291. The anchor lock 354 selectively engages the bottomsurface of the side portions 295 and the bottom surface of the sideportion 292 (i.e. the surface defining a top of the aperture 285) whenrotated between the unlocked position and the locked position. Theanchor aperture 280 is elongated to allow insertion of the elongatedanchor lock 354 into the anchor chamber 290, and the anchor chamber 290extends outwards from the anchor aperture 280 to allow rotation of theelongated anchor lock 354 within the anchor chamber 290. It iscontemplated that in some implementations the anchor 350 could be aseparate element used in cooperation with the anchor fixture 270. Insuch an implementation, the attachment base 300 could have a holeadapted for receiving the anchor 350, the anchor 350 connecting to theanchor fixture 270 upon passing through the hole.

International Patent Publication No. WO 2012/002959 A1, published on 5Jan. 2012, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference,provides additional details regarding anchors and anchor fixturessimilar in construction to the anchor 350 and the anchor fixture 270,and will not be discussed here in more detail.

Use of the anchor 350, the tongue 310, and the anchor fixtures 270 forattaching the jerry can 200 to the snowmobile 10 will now be describedwith reference to FIGS. 20 and 21. Using the anchor 350 and the tongue510 of the accessory base 500 to connect the accessory container 400 tothe jerry can 200 via the anchor fixtures 270 on the fixture assembly250 works in the same way.

The attachment base 300 is connected to two oppositely facing anchorfixtures 270L, 270R on upper surfaces 21L, 21R on either side of thetunnel 18. These components can be seen just before connection in FIG.20. The attachment base 300 is shown in isolation in FIGS. 20 and 21 forillustrative purposes. In normal operation, the attachment base 300 isconnected to the jerry can 200 and the below described procedure iscarried out with the jerry can 200 and the attachment base 300 connectedtogether.

The tongue fastener 310 is first inserted into the fastener aperture 285of the fixture 270L. The tongue fastener 310 is retained in the anchorchamber 280 by the edges of the aperture 285 allowing the attachmentbase 300 to be braced against the anchor fixture 270L while it isinstalled into the anchor fixture 270R. The anchor 350 at the end 306 ofthe attachment base 300 is then inserted into the anchor aperture 280 ofthe anchor fixture 270R with the anchor 350 disposed in an unlockedposition. Once the anchor 350 is inserted and the lever 362 is turned tothe locked position, the rubber strap 309 is extended over the lever 362and attached to the hook 311 on the other side of the anchor 350 as seenin FIG. 21.

As described above and with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21, the strap 309is provided on the frame 302 and attached thereto on one side of theanchor 350. The strap 309 is extended over the closed lever 362 andhooked to a tab 311 on the frame 302 on the other side of the anchor350. In FIG. 21, the anchor 350 is in a locked position, the lever 362is closed, and the strap 309 is attached over the anchor 350. When thelever 350 is unlocked, the strap 309 is left hanging loosely from theframe 302, as seen in FIGS. 10 and 20, and thereby providing anoticeable visual indication that the anchor 350 is unlocked.

As the anchor fixtures 270 accept both tongues 310, 510 and the anchors350, the containers 200, 400 can be attached in either orientation.While shown with the neck 230 of the jerry can 200 and the clasp 422 ofthe accessory container 400 accessible from the rear side 14 of thesnowmobile 10, the containers 200, 400 could be installed facingdifferent directions. For example, the position of the jerry can 200could be reversed, while the accessory container 400 could remain in theillustrated position. It is contemplated that the position of either orboth of the container 200, 400 could be reversed.

While the installation of the jerry can 200 onto the tunnel 18 of thesnowmobile 10 was described with respect to only the jerry can 200, theaccessory container 400 could be installed on the jerry can 200 beforemounting the combined assembly 100 to the snowmobile 10. Similarly, theassembly 100 could be removed from the snowmobile 10 without separatingthe containers 200, 400. It is contemplated that the user could keep thecontainers 200, 400 connected for transport even when disconnected fromthe snowmobile, such that the user would carry the stacked containerassembly 100 by the handle 454 of the accessory container 400.

The stackable container assembly 100, along with the anchor fixtures 270to which they are connected, have been described exemplarily forattaching to the tunnel 18 of the snowmobile 10, however, it iscontemplated that the fixtures 270 could be used with any surfacesdisposed at other angles and in different locations in the snowmobile 10or in vehicles other than a snowmobile for connecting the stackablecontainer assembly 100. The fixtures 270 and the anchors 350 could beused for a wide range of accessories not limited to the ones describedherein.

Modifications and improvements to the above-described implementations ofthe present technology may become apparent to those skilled in the art.The foregoing description is intended to be exemplary rather thanlimiting. The scope of the present technology is therefore intended tobe limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

1. A container comprising: a container body having a top surface and abottom surface, the bottom surface being adapted for connecting thecontainer to a vehicle, the top surface being adapted for receiving anaccessory container; a tongue connected to the container body and beingadapted for inserting into a first vehicle anchor fixture connected tothe vehicle; and an anchor connected to the container body and beingadapted for inserting into a second vehicle anchor fixture, the anchorcomprising: an anchor base being connected to the bottom surface of thecontainer body; and an anchor lock extending from the anchor base, theanchor lock being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the anchorbase between a locked position and an unlocked position.
 2. Thecontainer of claim 1, wherein the tongue and the anchor are disposed onopposite sides of the container body.
 3. The container of claim 1,further comprising a fixture assembly attached to the top surface of thecontainer body, the fixture assembly being adapted for receiving theaccessory container; and wherein the fixture assembly comprises: afixture plate; and at least one anchor fixture connected to the fixtureplate.
 4. The container of claim 3, wherein the fixture plate includes ahandle adapted for carrying the container.
 5. The container of claim 3,wherein the fixture assembly is removable from the container.
 6. Thecontainer of claim 3, further comprising a fluid filling neck adaptedfor filling an interior of the container with fluid; and wherein thefluid filling neck: extends from the container body; and is outside anexterior edge of the fixture plate.
 7. The container of claim 6, furthercomprising a cap adapted for selectively closing the fluid filling neck,the cap being removable when the accessory container is connected to thecontainer.
 8. A stackable container assembly comprising: a basecontainer comprising: a container body having a top surface and a bottomsurface, the bottom surface being adapted for connecting the basecontainer to a vehicle; and an anchor connected to the container bodyand being adapted for inserting into a vehicle anchor fixture, theanchor comprising: an anchor base being connected to the bottom surfaceof the container body; and an anchor lock extending from the anchorbase, the anchor lock being rotatable about an axis perpendicular to theanchor base between a locked position and an unlocked position; and anaccessory container comprising: an accessory body having an accessorybottom surface for selectively connecting the accessory container to thetop surface of the base container such that the accessory container isstacked on top of the base container.
 9. The stackable containerassembly of claim 8, wherein: the vehicle anchor fixture is a secondvehicle anchor fixture; the base container further comprises a tongueconnected to the container body and being adapted for inserting into afirst vehicle anchor fixture connected to the vehicle; and the tongueand the anchor are disposed on opposite sides of the container body. 10.The stackable container assembly of claim 8, further comprising afixture assembly attached to the top surface of the container body, thefixture assembly being adapted for receiving the accessory container;and wherein the fixture assembly comprises: a fixture plate; and atleast one anchor fixture connected to the fixture plate.
 11. Thestackable container assembly of claim 10, wherein the fixture assemblyis removable from the base container.
 12. The stackable containerassembly of claim 10, wherein: the fixture plate includes a handle; andthe bottom surface of the accessory body is adapted for receiving thehandle attached to the fixture plate when the accessory container isconnected to the base container.
 13. The stackable container assembly ofclaim 10, wherein: the base container further comprises a fluid fillingneck adapted for filling an interior of the base container with fluid;the fluid filling neck extends from the container body of the basecontainer; and the fluid filling neck is outside an exterior edge of thefixture plate.
 14. The stackable container assembly of claim 13, furthercomprising a cap adapted for selectively closing the fluid filling neck,the cap being removable when the accessory container is connected to thebase container.
 15. A vehicle comprising: a first vehicle anchor fixtureand a second vehicle anchor fixture; a base container connected to thefirst and second vehicle anchor fixtures, the base container comprising:a container body having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottomsurface being selectively connected to the first and second vehicleanchor fixtures; and an anchor connected to the container body and beingselectively inserted into one of the first and second vehicle anchorfixtures, the anchor comprising: an anchor base being connected to thebottom surface of the container body; and an anchor lock extending fromthe anchor base, the anchor lock being rotatable about an axisperpendicular to the anchor base between a locked position and anunlocked position; and an accessory container comprising: an accessorybody having an accessory bottom surface for selectively connecting theaccessory container to the top surface of the base container such thatthe accessory container is stacked on top of the base container.
 16. Thevehicle of claim 15, wherein the vehicle is a snowmobile comprising: aframe including a tunnel, the first and second vehicle anchor fixturesbeing connected to a top side of the tunnel; a motor connected to theframe; a drive track disposed at least in part under the tunnel, thedrive track being operatively connected to and driven by the motor; atleast one ski operatively connected to the frame; and a straddle seatdisposed above the tunnel; and wherein: the accessory container extendsat least partially above the straddle seat when the accessory containeris connected to the base container; and a top surface of the straddleseat extends above the top surface of the container body of the basecontainer.
 17. The vehicle of claim 15, further comprising a fixtureassembly attached to the top surface of the container body, the fixtureassembly being adapted for receiving the accessory container; andwherein the fixture assembly comprises: a fixture plate; and at leastone anchor fixture connected to the fixture plate.
 18. The vehicle ofclaim 17, wherein: the fixture plate includes a handle; and the bottomsurface of the accessory body is adapted for receiving the handleattached to the fixture plate when the accessory container is connectedto the base container.
 19. The vehicle of claim 17, wherein: the basecontainer further comprises a fluid filling neck adapted for filling aninterior of the base container with fluid; the fluid filling neckextends from the container body of the base container; and the fluidfilling neck is outside an exterior edge of the fixture plate.
 20. Thevehicle of claim 15, wherein: the anchor is selectively inserted intothe second vehicle anchor fixture; and the base container furthercomprises a tongue connected to the container body and being selectivelyinserted into the first vehicle anchor fixture.